Wings of Fire - Cavernous Promises

Chapter 26

DRAGONFLY II

Dragonfly was now the only one awake. Mallow, Acacia and Cobalt were in deep slumber, Admiral muttering words in his. Locust had gone to 'investigate' something, so Dragonfly didn't count him.

It's quiet. Dragonfly thought. That's never happened, since I've been stuck with these lunatics.

"Rosy..." Admiral mumbled in his sleep. "Rosy...Rosy..no."

What? Who is Rosy? And why no? Dragonfly clenched his talons, scorning. I should not be concerned with SilkWi- Peasant matters. I shouldn't be, and I won't be...

Dragonfly surveyed the room, looking for something to occupy him. His gaze landed on the pile of flamesilk Cobalt had set out for their warmth, and it's blaze was decreasing rapidly. Dragonfly thought this may have something to do with Cobalt being tired, or being whatever that Cobalt was in the hive that literally destroyed everything in her path, but he wasn't sure.

His enchanted 'gift' of a ring gleamed in the last burning embers of the silk, sending a ray of light across the sink-hole wall. Dragonfly twisted the ring around his talon in circles, careful not to take it off in one fell swoop.

What would happen if I took it off? Would Wasp take control of me immediately? Or would I stay the same? What if she stopped trying to look for us already?

The amber HiveWing mumbled under his breath.

"Aunt could have stopped now. She could have. She probably has..."

"W-what?" Admiral spoke again, his wings fidgeting. "Rosy...Rosy...Flame...Flamesilk..."

Ok...uhm what? Now that's getting serious.

Dragonfly looped the ring around his talon again.

"My...." He sighed. "If Aunt does take me, I command that I don't get blame."

And with that, he slid the ring off his claw. Dragonfly chucked it up in the air, waiting for something to happen.

Several minutes later, the sinkhole was still as barren as ever.

Well, I guess that's go-

Dragonfly's thought tracking slowed to a halt. Something had clawed him into their grasp. He struggled without success, unable to move, for the force was too strong.

At last... A voice hissed in his head. Finally, he was stupid enough to remove his protection.

It was going to happen sooner or later. Just a time to wait.

Dragonfly couldn't move. His claws weren't his claws. They were another's. They were Wasp's.

Now, what shall I do with my nephew? Many possibilities.

Let's start with revealing where he and the wretched traitors are.

All too soon, Dragonfly, well not Dragonfly, Wasp was moving. She scanned the walls of the sinkhole, eyeing every crevice with suspicion. After a full inspection, her gaze landed on the rest of the group.

Traitors. They are all here. Traitors.

Blackjack's son. He is not apparent. He must be somewhere.

Can she hear my thoughts? Dragonfly tried regaining his grasp, only to fail. Will she know all I have thought? What if she knows the location of the CavernWings?

"Where." He, well Wasp, growled.

Oh, uhm...

"Where are those whitefaces?"

Aha, question ans-

Wasp stopped him from thinking, with a terrorising growl

Get out of my head.

LeeeeafWings. They should be dead. How many more?

Dragonfly didn't dare think, cautious of revealing something on accident.

Flamesssilk.

Wasp stormed over to the weakly-burning pile in the centre.

How. One got away.

It will be captured soon enough.

It will spin for me.

There was a disturbance in Wasp, as she shot around to face a hole in the wall. Then came a shuffling sound, before Locust appeared from behind the dark shadow that loomed endlessly onward. He looked as if his scales had been polished, as his wings hung downward and were dripping wet.

"Hey guys!" Locust called. "I found this really weir-"

"Blackjack's son." Wasp snarled through Dragonfly.

"Holy mother of Clearsight." The yellow HiveWing swore.

"I was wondering when you would show."

"Ah- Ah- Ah- Ah- Ah-" Wasp snickered. "No waking up any of the others."

Locust's eyes flashed, revealing to Dragonfly a hexagonal pattern in his iris.

"So what?" Locust hissed.

"I'll just kill you all."

"Through Dragonfly? The worst warrior in history? Pffft, he's even worse than Acacia."

"Acacia. Is that one of the things' names?"

"LeafWing's." Locust corrected. "And why are we even talking about Acacia? Let's move on to....Hmmm...What about...HOW ON PANTALA DID YOU GET TO HIM?"

"His idiocy."

Locust sent his gaze to Dragonfly's talon, which had an absence of the ring.

"He removed it, didn't he?"

"Quite right."

"Bee-faced lizard..."

"Blackjack's son, where are you?"

"My name is Locust."

Wasp hissed. "Locussssst, where are you?"

"I'd never tell you."

"I order you to tell me."

"I don't take orders from you."

"Well you are no more than a traitor yourself."

"About right, yes."

"I was considering letting you back into the hives, to live a life, but now I see not."

"Like I care."

"You dare talk like that to your Queen."

"I have no Queen, because the one I have right now sucks."

"Imbecile." Wasp groaned. "You dare."

"I dare."

"Hm, well played Locust, well played."

Don't fall for that Locust, you dumb bumblebee. Dragonfly thought, trapped in his mind.

Sssshut up. You are ruining it. Now, get out of my head.

"Yes, I am very good at this." Locust snorted

"Yessss, now, what if I could tell you, I can fix you?"

"I don't need fixing, I'm perfect."

"No, you are not normal. I can help with that."

"Yeahhhhh, how about, nah."

Without warning, Locust shot over to Dragonfly, or Wasp, launching his talons at his, or her, horns. The HiveWing grabbed a hold of the spikes, which were to be horns, smashing them down on the stone-cold ground. With one manoeuvre, he quickly pinned down the attacker.

"Get off me, son of Blackjack." Wasp hissed through Dragonfly. "I said, GET OFF ME."

"Admiral, Mallow, anyone!" Locust hissed. "I need help! Dragonfly's gone WASPY!"